Starting Over Again
by IcyJadeXOXO
Summary: Damon is back in the land of the living. But what did he really come back for? A brother who gave up on him? A lady love who forgot about him? A best friend who wiped her memories away? What would you do when someone hits the reset button on your life? Would he even want to stay, or will this be his chance to start over?
1. Oh, Take Me Back To The Start

**TITLE** : Starting Over Again

**DISCLAIMER** : I don't own TVD, unless you count DVD's or my excessive Damon Salvatore poster collection. No, I didn't think so. Also, I don't own any of the recognizable characters. Sadly, the show belongs to L.J. Smith, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, Caroline Dries, et al.,and CW Network.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** : No idea what I'm doing. I was going to write for NaNoWriMo, but someone told me they don't allow smut. Then, I was attacked by plot bunnies after that last episode. Grrr! Argh! On the bright side...[SPOILER ALERT!] Damon's B***! Don't read this yet if you haven't watched the most recent episode and you hate to be spoiled. This fic may or may not be a one-shot. It all depends on readers feedback. Just so we're clear, the ones in _italics_ are FLASHBACKS. There are a shit load of things that Elena needed to be reminded of. Also...self-beta'd, so apologies for any errors.

**SUMMARY** : Damon is back in the land of the living. How will he deal with the fact that his own best friend compelled his great love to forget she ever loved him? What are the lengths that he would go through to get Bonnie back? Will Elena remember how much she loves Damon?

**RATING** : a very strong **T**, because I have a hard time controlling the characters' potty mouths. Adult language and mature content.

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><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE – Oh, Take Me Back To The Start<strong>

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><p><em>...Tell me you love me, <em>

_Come back and haunt me__  
><em>_Oh and I rush to the start__  
><em>_Running in circles, chasing our tails__  
><em>_Coming back as we are..._

_~ The Scientist_

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><p>Damon tossed his head backwards as he knocked back another straight shot of whiskey. He let the familiar and welcomed pain burn from his throat, down to his gut. He laid his head down on the counter of the bar, as he put yet another glass on the very top of his pyramid of shot glasses. He began drinking only a few hours ago, starting off with a bottle of rum. And when that ran out, he moved onto the bottle of gin. And once that ran out, he upgraded to whiskey. 'Upgrade' might be a strong word, considering that the dive bar he was currently at had shitty standards when it came to liquor.<p>

Crossroads...that was the name of the bar. How very appropriate, since he was at a crucial point where whatever he decides next when he gets out of that bar will have long-lasting consequences to the very few people he had left in this life. Should he stay? Should he go? Hell...had he known that heartbreak that awaited him upon his return, he would have more than gladly traded places with the Judgy Witch of the West.

Damon cringed, wondering about Bonnie's fate along with the rogue psycho warlock from hell, Kai. Bonnie made a sacrifice, giving away what have been her only chance to come back home to the people who loved her, and instead, she brought him back to Elena. And it was all for nothing. He scoffed as he recalled what happened after his reunion with his little brother. Together, they went to Whitmore College to spread the good news of his return, where they met with Ric, Caroline and Elena. And it all went to hell from there.

"_He's back," Ric had said to Elena._

"_He's back? Okay..." Elena replied, as if it meant nothing to her._

"_Don't you get it, Elena? Damon's back..." Caroline repeated, confused at Elena's reaction. "You'd think you'd be overjoyed."_

"_Overjoyed? Why? Because the monster who killed my brother and made our lives a living hell is back from the dead? Why would that make me happy?" Elena retorted. _

"_You've forgiven him for all of that," Ric reminded her. "You love him."_

"_So you keep saying," Elena said. "I think you're all lying to me."_

"_Why would we lie to you?" Caroline asked incredulously._

"_How can I love a serial killer, Care? You said it to me a hundred times how he treated you like a chew toy!" Elena snapped back._

"_See? This is why you shouldn't have made her forget, Ric!" Stefan blasted Alaric._

"_Well...if I recall correctly Stefan, it was YOU who forgot him first. You gave up on him too! So, don't be a hypocrite, putting all the blame on Ric. You yourself don't think too highly of your brother! How can you expect me to want to remember loving him, if all he has ever brought to my life is misery?" Elena asked him. She grabbed her jacket and made her way towards the door. She reluctantly turned back to her friends. "He should have stayed dead. Bonnie should be here. And he should have stayed dead," she hissed softly before opening the door, where she found Liam with a confused look on his face, about to knock at the door._

"_Elena-" Liam started to say._

_Elena interrupted him with a searing kiss on the lips. "Get me out of here," she ordered him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him with her, as they left the dorm, much to the surprise of Ric, Caroline and Stefan._

"_Well..." Caroline scoffed. "I can't say that I saw that one coming."_

"_You and me both, Blondie," Damon growled softly, as he emerged from the shadows. He was angry, and hurt...mostly angry. "What the hell did you do to her while I was gone?" he hissed at Ric._

"_Elena had this crazy idea in her head that the only way she would survive losing you is by having Ric compel her to forget..." it was Stefan who answered._

"_So, you made her remember the bad parts?" Pain clutched his heart when he recalled how Elena called him a 'monster' once again. "__And nobody had second thoughts about this? Did it even occur to any of you that this might be a bad idea?" Damon asked angrily._

"_Oddly enough, I was the only one who made an argument against it," Caroline muttered._

"_You're right, Blondie...that is odd!" Damon scoffed. "You mean to tell me that the only person who felt that this was wrong is the woman who hated my guts since she was human?" he hissed at the betrayal._

"_Damon...we didn't think there was a chance that you'd come back," Stefan tried to explain. "So, yes...we gave up-"_

"_YOU gave up," Caroline corrected him. "There were still a couple of us who had hope." _

_There was an awkward pause for a while, until Alaric spoke up. "Are you alright?" he asked Damon. _

"_My best friend compelled my beautiful and lovely girlfriend to forget that she ever loved me. I'm great, Ric." Damon replied sarcastically._

"_I'm sorry, Damon...let me-" Ric tried to apologize, when he felt Damon's fist connect with his jaw._

"_Don't do me any more favors, buddy," Damon sneered at him in disgust. He turned and walked away, but stopped when he was almost at the door. "Where the hell is Enzo?"_

And that was how Damon got there. He walked aimlessly where his feet carried him, and he stopped when he reached that dive at the edge of town, where he is currently trying to drink himself to a stupor. He angrily swiped his arm over the counter, sending his pyramid of shot glasses crashing to the floor, smashed into tiny pieces. He was about to take another swig of whiskey, when a hand grabbed the bottle away from him. He turned around and raised his fist aiming to pummel the face of the thieving stranger.

"Whoa...easy there, Tiger," said the woman in front of him, before she took a big gulp from the bottle.

Damon glared at the woman from head to toe. She was petite in size, with green eyes, alabaster skin, long dark hair that was naturally curly, and a cocky smirk on her face that rivaled his own on a good day. "Lady, you must have a death wish-"

"Oh, shut up!" the woman interrupted him. "Believe it or not, I'm here to help you."

"Help me? You don't even know me," Damon pointed out.

"On the contrary, I know all about you, Damon Salvatore," the woman told him. "My name's Eden," she introduced herself.

"Eden? Eden who?" Damon asked.

"Just Eden," she replied mysteriously.

"Well, Eden Just Eden..." Damon retorted. "Since I don't know you from Adam, you can understand if I'm suspicious of you," he said, before grabbing back his whiskey, and proceeded to walk away from her.

"I know a way to get you your precious Bennett witch back," Eden informed him, which made him stop in his tracks.

"You know about Bonnie," Damon asked curiously.

"I know plenty about you and your friends, Damon," Eden replied.

"How?" Damon pressed.

"Not important," Eden answered. "What's important is I can help you get her back."

"I've learned my lesson on making deals with shady people," Damon said, before walking away again.

"Kai sent me!" Eden revealed.

Damon sped towards her in a flash. "If you think that mentioning that name would help your case, you are sadly mistaken!" he growled, his hand squeezing her throat.

"Stop!" Eden ordered him.

Next thing Damon knew, he was on the ground clutching his head in pain from the aneurysm he had just received. "You're a witch!"

Eden helped him up and sat him on the stool. "I'm here to help you, Damon. We share the same goal. I want Kai back as much as you want Bonnie...probably even more."

"And if I refuse?" Damon pressed.

"You don't want to make an enemy out of me," Eden cautioned him.

"Are you threatening me?" Damon challenged her.

"It's a warning," Eden replied. "I'm your only ally right now, Damon," she pointed out.

"And how can I trust you?" Damon retorted.

"You can't," Eden responded with a light shrug of her shoulders. "But if you need a comrade by your side, I can help you with that too."

"What do you mean?" Damon asked confusedly. "Who?"

"Your friend, Enzo," Eden told him. "I can tell you exactly where he is."

"Enzo? You know where he's being held?" Damon asked.

"Yes..." Eden replied. "And if you want to rescue him, you'll do exactly as I say."

"And what would that be?" Damon asked again.

Eden leaned closer and whispered on his ear. "Bite me...NOW!"

Without question, Damon morphed into his vampire face, his fangs ejected from his gums, and buried them on the side of Eden's neck, drinking her blood by the gulp. Next thing he knew, there were sharp stings that pricked him on the back of his neck.

"Vervain..." he muttered weakly, before he lost all his strength, and collapsed on the dingy floor.

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><p>Elena's eyes slowly fluttered open, as she weakly struggled her way back to consciousness. She tried to move, but every inch of her body screamed in pain. She racked her brain trying to remember what had happened to her. It dawned on her that she was inside a small cage. She proceeded to try and escape, but the bars burned her hand when she touched it.<p>

"It's laced with vervain," a male voice tried to explain to her. "And even if the bars weren't laced with vervain, that caged is made of reinforced steel. I doubt you can escape from that."

"Wh-who are you?" Elena asked weakly.

"Pardon me. Where are my manners?" the man scoffed mockingly. "Tripp Cooke," he introduced himself."

"Vampire hunter?" Elena inquired.

Tripp shook his head. "Just a concerned citizen," he answered. "Elena Gilbert," he said, his tone dripping with disdain. "Imagine my surprise when I found out that a member of the founding families was a vampire. Your parents would be ashamed of you," he told her, before he turned his head towards the darkness. "Good work, kid."

Elena adjusted her eyes and saw a man emerge from the shadows. "Liam?"

"I'm sorry, Elena," Liam whispered. "No...you know what? I'm not sorry! I finally understand what you said...that there are crazy mysterious things in the world. Things that science can't explain. You're one of them," he muttered in a disgusted tone. "It's not easy...looking at you, Elena. You're just...wrong!"

"Liam...no, please-" Elena pleaded.

"Save it!" Liam hissed at her. "I don't want to listen to any more of your lies! You're a monster! You and your friends..."

"Friends?" Elena asked softly. "NO!" she exclaimed, when her eyes roamed around the room and saw a few more cages. "Caroline!" she called out, but her blonde vampire friend appeared to be unconscious. She saw another body inside another cage. "Enzo?" she whispered. His head was at a weird angle, his neck seemingly snapped.

"There's another one coming," Tripp informed her.

"Wh-what are you planning to do with us?" Elena asked nervously.

"I need a list of names of all your vampire friends," Tripp told her.

"No!" Elena shook her head vigorously. "You can't make me!"

"Cooperate, and I'll make your death quick and painless," Tripp threatened her. "Refuse, and I'll make your death painfully slow."

"No," Elena declined firmly.

Tripp leaned closer to Elena's cage. "Miss Gilbert, you are an abomination. Not just to your family, but to all of mankind."

Elena spat on his face, and was about say a snappy remark, when the door opened, revealing two unknown guys, carrying an unconscious man with them. The first guy opened one of the empty cages, while the other threw the man's body inside, then slamming the door shut and locking it.

Elena stared nervously at the unconscious man...vampire. She knew him. She had worn his shirt numerous times. She even had a leather jacket that matched his. She has his features all memorized like the back of her hand...his body...his face...his smirk. And she was sure that if the man only opened his eyes, she'd be greeted by a pair of orbs bluer than the ocean.

"Damon?" she whispered.

"That's Damon?" Liam asked her.

"Oh, so you know him?" Tripp scoffed at Elena. He reached inside his coat and took out a wooden stake. "Will you miss him when he's gone?"

"No! Please...DON'T!" Elena begged, as she stared at Damon's unconscious form, willing him to wake up and defend himself.

The tears fell from her eyes, and fear coursed through her body...the great fear of losing Damon again. Elena felt a stabbing pain that pierced her undead heart. And just like that, all the memories came rushing back, filling her and overwhelming her. Her body trembled when the memories returned...and it didn't only flood her mind, it also invaded her heart.

"_You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, an adventure, and even a little danger."_

"_I want you to get everything that you're looking for. But right now, I want you to forget that this happened. Can't have people knowing that I'm in town yet. Goodnight, Elena."_

"_You must be Elena. I'm Damon, Stefan's brother."_

"_I like you. You know how to laugh. And you make Stefan smile, which is something I haven't seen in a very long time."_

"_Vampires can't procreate. But we love to try."_

"_Well, you're not the worst company in the world, Elena. You should give yourself more credit."_

"_I didn't compel you in Atlanta because we were having fun. I wanted it to be real. I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it."_

"_You ask, I come. I'm easy like that."_

"_You're the liar, Elena. There is something going on between the two of us, and you know it. And you're lying to Stefan. And most of all, you're lying to yourself."_

"_You have every right to hate me, I understand. But you hated me before, and we became friends. It would suck if that was gone forever. So...is it? Have I lost you forever?"_

"_Well, because what I'm about to say is...probably the most selfish thing I have ever said in my life..."_

"_...I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it. I love you, Elena. And it is because I love you, that I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this. I don't deserve you. But my brother does. God, I wish you didn't have to forget this...but you do."_

"_Yes, Elena. I find hilarity in the lengths that I have to go to repeatedly save your life."_

"_You need to stop doing that. Assuming that I'll play the good guy because it's you who's asking."_

"_I've got moves you've never seen."_

"_I will always choose you."_

"_I can't lose you."_

"_Please, Elena. Feeding you my blood, I was wrong. And I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I need it."_

"_I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this. I deserve to die...It's okay. 'Cause if I'd have chosen differently, I wouldn't have met you. I'm so sorry. I've done so many things to hurt you."_

"_I know you love Stefan. And it will always be Stefan. But I love you. You should know that."_

"_You should have met me in 1864. You would have liked me."_

"_I got you something. I know I promised not to buy you anything, so don't worry. I didn't pay for it...Alaric found it in his loft. Thought you'd be happy to have it back."_

"_...When I drag my brother back from the edge and deliver him back to you, I want you to remember the things that you felt while he was gone..."_

"_What? A monster? Sorry to disappoint you, Elena, but last time I checked, I was still a vampire!"_

"_I am NOT Stefan. How about you stop trying to turn me into him?"_

"_I shouldn't have left. I promise you...I will never leave you again."_

"_I'll do whatever it is you need me to do, Elena. No one's going to hurt you. Especially not my brother."_

"_If I'm going to feel guilty about something, I'm gonna feel guilty about this."_

"_It's right. Just not right now."_

"_...I'm mad at you because I love you!" _

"_...When people see good, they expect good. And I don't want to have to live up to anyone's expectations."_

"_If it was just down to him and me, and you had to make a choice who got the goodbye...who would it be?"_

_"___I would have saved you in a heartbeat, no question…and you would've gotten to grown up and had the life that you wanted, the life you deserved. And I know that I didn't used to get that but I do now and I wanted that for you, Elena and I would have gladly given that to you and let Matt die because I am that selfish. But you knew that already. First night we met is not all you remember."__

"_For someone who doesn't want to be like me, you sure are good at it."_

"_I'm about to take a very...high and annoying road, and tell you something. Because I know that you think Stefan's been lying to you. Which, yeah, he has. But this...rough patch that you two have been going through, it's not what you think. Everything that he's been doing, he's been doing for you. To help you. And after he kills me for telling you this, I want you to throw my ashes off of Wickery Bridge, okay? There may be a way out of this for you, Elena. There may be a cure."_

"_I don't think I've ever seen you more alive."_

"_You know what would make me happy? To know that this entire time that I've been completely in love with you...that what you actually felt for me...was real."_

"_I don't want to do this, Elena. I'm not the good guy, remember? I'm the selfish one. I take what I want. I do what I want. I lie to my brother. I fall in love with his girl. I don't do the right thing. But I have to do the right thing by you."_

"_I wanna throw you back in my head and never let you leave."_

"_I'm setting you free, Elena. This is what I want. This is what will make me happy."_

"_I'm going to get this cure for you...and I'm going to have to do things you're not gonna like."_

"_Fine. Say they're real. Say you've become human and you still love me. Then what? You grow old. You die. I stay a vampire. Face reality, Elena. We don't work."_

"_...I'm looking out for you, because one day, you will flip that switch back on, and all the bad stuff that you did is gonna come rushing back, and it is going to suck."_

"_Out of sight, out of mind. Every day that you're like this is the day that you might do the one thing that you can't take back."_

"_You feel that weight lifting off your chest? That's joy, because your friend isn't dead. That's emotion, Elena. That's humanity."_

"_I wanted to apologize...Let me finish. I said I wanted to, and then I realized, I'm not sorry...I didn't say you were supposed be okay with it. I just said I'm not sorry. But you know what I really am? Selfish. Because I make bad choices that hurt you. Yes, I would rather have died than be human. I'd rather die right now than spend a handful of years with you only to lose you when I'm too old and sick and miserable and you're still you. I'd rather die right now than spend my last final years remembering how I good I had it and how happy I was because that's who I am, Elena, and I'm not gonna change. And there's no apology in the world that encompasses all the reasons that I'm wrong for you."_

"_For the record, I am secure enough in our relationship that you having psychic dreams about your ex-boyfriend does not bother me...but it still sucks."_

"_Wait. No. Stop. Just wait. Any sign of trouble, you let her go, do you understand me? I don't care how bad Silas wants Katherine. She's not worth the hair on your head. You got me? Okay? Kiss me. Go!"_

"_...No one tells me how I live my life, no one tells me who I love, especially not some vindictive prehistoric witch, and definitely not the universe. And I'm not gonna let someone else's idea of destiny stop me from loving you or being with you or building a future with you, because you are my life."_

"_Why are you still here? I'm bad, Elena! I am bad for you. So why wouldn't you have run away from me as far as humanly possible?"_

"_I am choosing not to have to think about how you must feel every time some ghost from my past comes into out life. I'm choosing to relieve you of having to defend me for every awful thing I've ever done."_

"_STOP DEFENDING ME! I won't change who I am. I can't...But I refuse to change you."_

"_Elena, the second we are cured of this and don't want to rip each other's heads off, I am going to hunt you down and give you the most mind-blowing night of your life."_

"_Katherine didn't do this! I did! I thought you broke my heart, so I ripped open Aaron's neck. THAT is how much control you have over me."_

"_Listen to us! This is toxic! We are in a toxic relationship, Elena! I just killed your friend and you find someone else to blame!"_

"_...Stop loving me!"_

"_Here's the thing, Elena. I don't know what to say, or do, or think. All I know is that right now, I want to rip your clothes off right here in the middle of this hall, and throw you into one of these classrooms and kiss every square inch of your body, while a bunch of people that drive minivans listen, wishing they were us."_

"_Shhh...Travel safe."_

"_We were doomed from the beginning, Elena. We were always gonna end up here."_

"_...I'm serious, Elena. I can't see you anymore. I don't want to hear your voice. I don't want to talk to you. I don't even want to look at you. And I sure as hell don't want to be your friend."_

"_...You wanted to protect me so I wouldn't spiral, because if I spiraled, then it would prove that we shouldn't be together. But I didn't spiral. Despite every nerve in my body wanting to break something or hurt someone or do all the wrong things for all the right reasons, I'm holding it together the best I can...for you."_

"_I will make it back to you, I promise...I promise you."_

It all came back to her...the memory of every word and every feeling. The pain, the fear, the joy, the sorrow, the anger...and most of all, the LOVE. She loved Damon. She still loves him...all of him, both the good and the bad. And with that love came forgiveness and understanding. He was no more a monster than she was a saint. He was the only man she could see herself spending the rest of eternity with. And right now, he needed her.

She was jolted out of her thoughts, when one of Tripp's men came rushing inside the room.

"We have a problem outside!" he announced frantically. Liam and Tripp ran hurriedly out of the room to follow him.

Elena struggled to get herself out of her cage, but her hands were burned by the vervain. Defeatedly, she crumpled down to the ground. "Damon..." she called out to him. "Please, you have to wake up," she pleaded. "I remember, Damon! I remember everything," she whispered. She continued to talk to Damon, when she heard Tripp's voice outside, screaming.

"Burn everything!" Tripp ordered. "Burn it all to the ground!"

Next thing Elena knew, smoke had invaded the room, flames spreading wildly in such a small space.

"No! DAMON!" Elena screamed, as she desperately tried to wake him. "Please...help!" she yelled as loud as she could. Choking on the thick smoke that smelled like burnt vervain, she felt herself weaken. "Damon..." she whispered, struggling to keep her eyes open.

She heard the sound of metal bars opening, and a familiar voice calling her name. She felt strong hands lift her up and carried her body out of the cage. By now, the smoke had become very thick, you can hardly see a thing. She felt herself grow weaker, before losing her battle with consciousness.

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><p>Elena didn't know how long she was out, but she opened her eyes in a panic, and her body frantically shot up.<p>

"Damon!" she shouted.

"Easy there," said a friendly voice, as a pair of strong arms tried to hold her still.

"Ric?" Elena asked, wondering if it was just a dream.

"Yeah, it's me," Alaric answered. "Stefan's here too. You're okay...you're okay" he hushed her comfortingly.

"How did you find me?" Elena asked softly.

"I already knew about Tripp Cooke," Stefan confessed. "Matt called Ric, telling him that he saw Liam here talking to Tripp. We figured you were in danger."

As if on cue, Matt appeared right beside her. "Elena, are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Matt," Elena reassured her childhood friend. She turned her attention back to Stefan. "You knew about Tripp?" Elena asked him.\

Stefan nodded his head. "Who do you think handed Enzo over to him?"

"Enzo?" Elena muttered. Her eyes widened at the realization. "Did you get everyone out?" she asked Ric.

"Everyone?" Ric said. "Elena, you were the only one in there."

"No..." she shook her head. "NO! Enzo was there! Caroline was in one of the cages too!" she said in a panic. "And Damon! Damon was in the cage next to me!" Elena struggled to get up, and ran towards the still-burning facility.

"Elena...no!" Ric ran after her, grabbing her by the waist.

"NO! Let me go! Damon's still in there!" Elena told him frantically, kicking and screaming.

"Elena, STOP!" Stefan tried to calm her down. "There was nobody else in there, believe me!"

"And even if there was...it's too late to save them now," Matt added in a consoling voice, his gaze never leaving the house engulfed by the fire. "I doubt that anyone can get out of that...man or vampire."

* * *

><p>Caroline slowly opened her eyes when she felt a hand gently tapping her face. Once her sight had adjusted to her surroundings, she tried to focus on remembering what happened. She didn't need enhanced vampire senses to know that the room she was engulfed in flames. Still slightly disoriented, she someone calling her name.<p>

"You okay, Blondie?" the voice asked.

Caroline blinked a few times to shake away the cobwebs in her brain. "Damon?" she asked.

"Yep...in the flesh," Damon answered.

"What happened?" Caroline asked again.

"No time to explain," Damon replied, as he helped her up. "Can you walk?"

Caroline nodded. "I think so..." she said choking on the smell of smoke.

"We need to get out of here," Damon told her.

On their way out, they noticed one of the cages still had a man inside. "Oh, my God! Enzo!" Caroline exclaimed.

With all his strength, Damon pried the bars open, not caring that the vervain burned his skin. He knelt towards his friend's unconscious form, picked him up, and slung his body over his shoulders. He was about to join Caroline, when one of the burning beams fell in front of him, a wall of fire separating them.

"You have to get out of here!" Damon told her, coughing furiously, as he struggled to get a better hold of Enzo.

"Not without you!" Caroline argued, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "I can't face Stefan, and tell him that I just left his brother to die!"

Damon shook his head. "I'll be fine," he told her. "We have a way out!"

Caroline shook her head. "No! I'm not leaving you!"

"Caroline...listen to me! You have to go!" Damon yelled at her, as more burning beams start to collapse around them.

"Damon-" Caroline tried to protest.

"Caroline...RUN!" Damon ordered her.

Caroline finally did as she was told, and ran as fast as her vampire feet could carry her. She didn't look back...she didn't even blink, until she was out of the burning building. She was still choking and struggling to catch her breath once she reached outside. She felt herself still weakening, and anticipated her body to fall to the ground, but she never did. She sighed with relief when she someone caught her before she fell.

"It's alright," Stefan whispered. "I've got you. You're fine," he assured her, as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Caroline!" she heard Matt yell her name, before covering her body with a blanket.

"I'm okay, Matt," Caroline reassured him. She let her eyes roam around, and saw Tripp, Liam and a few other men bound and gagged on the ground. She shivered thinking that thing could have gotten a lot worse.

"Care?" Elena whispered her name.

Caroline eyes looked up to meet hers. "It's alright, Elena. It's over now."

"Wa-was anyone else still inside?" Elena asked nervously.

"Damon was there," Caroline told them. "He was the one who freed me from my cage. He was trying to help Enzo...when the place started to collapse around us," she added, her eyes slamming shut as she recalled what happened.

"Is Damon...?" Stefan didn't have the heart to finish his question.

Caroline shook her head. "No, he said he had a way out," she assured Stefan. "And then he told me to run."

"You just left him there?" Elena asked accusingly.

Caroline didn't like the tone of her voice. "He had a way out! He said so!" she spat.

"Then where is he?" Elena snapped at her.

"I don't know!" Caroline yelled back. "But he got out! They both did! I'm sure of it!"

"Do you even really care?" Elena shouted at her friend, as Ric held her back.

"Do you?" Caroline retorted. She pulled away from Stefan, and stood up straight on her own. "It wasn't too long ago when you didn't give a shit about Damon!"

"Care..." Matt warned her softly.

"NO!" Caroline yelled, fed up of tripping over themselves to protect her friend. She turned to face Elena. "You don't get to accuse me of NOT caring!" she snapped at her.

"I love him, Care..." Elena said in a quivering voice.

"Oh, so you're back to 'loving' him now?" Caroline scoffed. "I'm so sorry, Elena," she said sarcastically. "It's been kinda hard to keep track of your decisions lately," she added, before pushing past her and walking away.

* * *

><p>Enzo slowly awoke, sitting up as he stretched out his arms and rolled his neck. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was, and found himself sitting on a park bench.<p>

"What the bloody-" he said, all confused.

"About time you woke up," said a familiar voice from behind him.

"Damon?" Enzo asked, even more confused. "Are you real? Or is this some sort of vampire hell?"

Damon smack him at the back of the head. "That real enough for you?" He sat beside Enzo, chugging on a bottle of whiskey.

"You're back?" Enzo wondered, taking the bottle from Damon, and helping himself with the drink.

"Yep," Damon answered.

"Where's the witch?" Enzo inquired.

"Long story," Damon replied, grabbing the bottle back from Enzo to take another swig.

"I got nothing but time," Enzo told him.

"It's complicated," Damon smirked, before he relayed the story of where he and Bonnie stayed over the past four months. He told Enzo about Kai...and their recent complication, Eden.

"So...you trust this Eden woman?" Enzo asked him once he was finished with the story.

"Not as far as I can throw her," Damon replied, shaking his head. "But she was the one who saved us from getting barbecued...so, I figured we kinda owe her."

"I don't owe her shit," Enzo argued.

"Nope..." Damon said. "But I do owe Bonnie," he added guiltily. "And I do hate owing people."

Enzo nodded. "What's the plan?" he asked. "Do we just take this Eden witch's word at face value?

Damon shook his head. "No...she's working with Kai, which doesn't say much about her character."

"So what do we do?" Enzo pressed.

"I think I can turn her against him," Damon replied.

"Then what do you need me for?" Enzo asked again.

"Just in case I fail...you have my blessing to kill everyone who got in my way, on my behalf," Damon chuckled, before finishing off the remaining whiskey.

"I reckon I like the sound of that," Enzo replied with a smirk.

"I reckon you would," Damon retorted.

"Where do we start?" Enzo asked.

"Portland, Oregon," Damon answered, tilting his head to follow him.

"What's in Portland, Oregon?" Enzo pressed, as he walked behind him.

"Witches," Damon replied, stopping in front of a black 1967 Chevy Impala convertible. "Get in," he told Enzo, before opening the door and getting behind the wheel.

"Nice car," Enzo said, before, hopping on the passenger side of the vehicle. "Not yours," he pointed out.

"Borrowed it from a friend," Damon replied mysteriously, before starting the ignition.

"A friend?" Enzo repeated, no getting a response from Damon. "So...witches in Portland?" he impatiently tapped his fingers on the dashboard.

"Yep..." Damon answered. "Have you heard of the Gemini coven?"

* * *

><p><strong>~END OF CHAPTER ONE (?)~<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN** :

*Yep...this is what I do when my brain is too distracted to write updates for my ongoing fics.

*Elena needed to dig deeper and go back to the very beginning to remember how much her feelings for Damon had evolved. And I'm telling you, the best Delena moments/quotes are so hard to compile because there's too damn many of them!

*I don't own the black 1967 Chevy Impala...but I know who does. ;)

*So...on the next chapter...if there is indeed a next chapter...it's life in Portland, Oregon for Denzo!

*Thanks for reading. Be kind...REVIEW!


	2. The Lonely Shepherd

**A/N** : Thank you all so much for all the kind words! Before I proceed, please bear in mind the title of this fic, _Starting Over Again_. Stefan and Elena had talked about it a lot in the past episodes. This is just my take from Damon's perspective. Can he start over...live another life? What would happen if he tried? Will the people in his life allow him to?

**WARNING** : Some adult language, nudity and sexual content (nothing explicit) on this chapter. Look away, kiddies! Blame Enzo!

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER TWO – The Lonely Shepherd<strong>

* * *

><p><em>...Hey you with the pretty face,<br>Welcome to the human race  
>A celebration Mr. Blue Sky's<br>Up there waitin' and today  
>Is the day we've waited for.<em>

_Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why,  
>You had to hide away<br>For so long _

_Where did we go wrong?  
><em>

_Hey there, Mr. Blue  
>We're so pleased to be with you<br>Look around, see what you do,  
>Everybody smiles at you...<em>

Beautiful blue eyes grumpily opened to a yet another brand new day, before he brought the full force of his fist down to the alarm clock radio on his bedside table, smashing it to a hundred little pieces.

"Another clock bites the dust," he grumbled under his breath.

Once there was a time that all he ever killed were vampires, werewolves, hybrids, witches, and a few occasional annoying humans. These days, he's become a serial killer of alarm clocks. Because he's almost always never in a good mood to wake up at 6:30 in the morning...but this version of him is mostly required to do so.

He kicked off the covers, stood up and stretched his sleepy muscles, before leisurely sauntering towards the kitchen. He put a pot on for the strong coffee he will require to jump start his day. He's grown accustomed to sipping a warm blood bag in the morning, then chasing it down with a mug of coffee that is so strong, you can almost make a teaspoon stand in the middle. To each his own.

He then goes about preparing for work like any normal person...except on cheat days, when he vamp speeds his way through the rest of his morning. Today is one of those days. He made the bed , showered, shaved...all the other mundane things a human male does in the morning. Well, all except styling his hair. He either lets his hair be the way it is, or he gets a haircut when it gets unruly. But he never, ever styles it. He refuses to waste time in front of the mirror, shaping his hair and slathering it with hair gel. Nope. Wrong brother.

He puts his duty uniform on. Yes, he's required to wear uniforms now. It's clean and neatly pressed, and he looks presentable wearing it. It even comes with a polished name badge that has his new identity in it. _Lieutenant Noah Shepherd, Portland Fire and Rescue._ Fighting fire for a living...that's how he gets his kicks these days. And he chose that identity himself, because he might as well take on a persona that he can live with. And if he can't be Damon Salvatore anymore, he supposes that being Noah Shepherd isn't the worst thing in the world.

He grabs his coat from the rack, and it reminds him of how much he misses his leather jacket, which he still gets to wear but only on his days off. Because apparently, he looks more respectable wearing a coat, than in a leather jacket, in which he looks like the town lothario.

He often wondered what he was thinking when he agreed to start over in this new life. It's not as if he's totally miserable or anything like that. It's just that he's not used to the slow path anymore. It's been over a century and a half since he lived 'normally'. Takes him a while to get used to it again. He gets through it on most days. But every once in a while, he was pretty sure that IF he was human, he would've died from brain damage brought on by rolling his eyes too much.

He picked up his keys, and paused in front of the calendar by the door. He noticed the date. January 13th. It's Day 74. Which means he has 14 days left. Fourteen days, and then it's all over. Or not. It all depends on the witches, like it always does. He sighed and shook his head, before heading out of his apartment.

* * *

><p>He parked the Impala in front of the Twin Moons, the nicest tavern in Old Town Portland. He knew the owners and he spends most of his spare time there whenever he can. It's probably the good food, the top shelf booze and the entertainment...but mostly, it's to keep a close eye on his 'little brother', the town scoundrel.<p>

"Good morning, Noah!" he was greeted with a smile by Josiah Ora, the owner of the tavern. "8 o'clock, on the dot, as always!"

"Good morning, Josiah," he greeted in return.

"Noah Shepherd, you get skinnier every time I see you," he was chastised by Circe Ora, Josiah's wife.

"And you get lovelier every time I see you," he tried to charm the lady. "And it's not my fault that no one can cook for me the way you do."

"I'm making you your breakfast, as we speak," Circe told him. She tilted her head towards the stairs. "I suppose you're on your way to see Callum?"

"That would be correct," he replied.

"Well, you better hurry. We all know that that brother of yours doesn't get out of bed until well into the afternoon..." Circe reminded him. "...Unless of course, you drag him out of his bedroom yourself."

"He'll be joining me for breakfast," he informed Circe, before making his way up the stairs.

*He didn't need vampire senses to hear the gasps and moans coming from the room.

"Ohhh...Callum! Right there! Ohhh...yes!" a young woman's voice screamed.

"Fuck! Callum...oh my God, baby! That's the spot!" yelled another girl.

'Noah' shook his head, and proceeded to bang his knuckles on the door. "Callum? Open up," he called.

There was giggling and stifled groaning, before the door opened moments later.

"Noah! So early in the morning," 'Callum' greeted him by the door, stark-naked, his hands clutching on a pillow which he used as a cover for his privates.

"I'd invite you to breakfast, but you seem to be already wearing yours," he scolded his 'brother', before wiping the blood from the side of his mouth with his thumb.

"Hi, Noah," he was greeted by Sylvia Ora, barely covered by a thin white sheet.

"Care to join us?" Silvana Ora, Sylvia's twin sister, in an equal state of undress, invited him flirtatiously.

"I'm afraid I must decline, ladies," he said politely. "I have to be at work in less than an hour."

"Awww, you're no fun," Sylvia said with a pout.

"One of these days, we'll get you to party with us," Silvana told him.

"Some other time, ladies," he told the twins. He then turned to glare at Callum. "You coming?"

Callum gave him a cheeky grin before responding. "I'll be right down, brother."

* * *

><p>He sat down on his usual booth, waiting for 'Callum' to join him. He didn't have to wait long, before Callum appeared in the seat in front of him.<p>

"Top of the mornin' to you, brother," Callum greeted him with a grin. "Now...what seems to be so important that you had to interrupt my 'early morning ritual'?"

"I just thought I'd have breakfast with my brother," Noah replied. "Is that a crime?"

Circe approached them shortly, with a huge tray of food. "Bangers and mash, and Irish coffee for you," she said to Callum, then turning to Noah. "And a short stack of pancakes, with poached eggs, sliced bacon and hash browns on the side," she told Noah, her smile widening. "Oh, and black coffee, with three sugar cubes."

"Thank you kindly, Circe," he smiled at the sweet lady, who very much reminded him of the nanny that Giuseppe had hired for him and Stefan after their mother had died.

"Enjoy your meal, boys," Circe said playfully to them, ruffling Callum's hair as she passed by him.

"Sweet lady," Callum said while chewing his food.

Noah glared at him. "That, she is," he replied, before digging into his own plate.

"What seems to be the problem?" Callum asked after noticing the irritated look.

"These people were kind enough to take you into their home," Noah pointed out. "...And you repay them by sleeping with their daughters and running poker games in the back room."

"That's not entirely true," Callum denied, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Whenever I'm with the twins, I can assure you that there is NO sleeping involved...for any of us. And as for the gambling, I make sure that I give them a cut from the profits."

Noah shook his head in disappointment. "I worry about what will happen to you when I'm gone."

"Then don't go," Callum told him. He lowered his voice down. "Look...you don't have to go through any of this, Damon," he added, which was a surprise since this was the first time that he was the one to break character first.

"Enzo, we've been through this-" Damon answered.

"Just leave the witches' business to the witches," Enzo pleaded with him. "We can get the hell out of this town today. You are under no obligations to sacrifice yourself. You got out of the Other World, and you're back-"

"At the expense of Bonnie!" Damon hissed.

"That's what this is? Survivor's guilt?" Enzo asked incredulously.

"I owe her this, Enzo..." Damon whispered.

"If you came back to a happier scenario, you would have never agreed to this," Enzo said in frustration.

"We'll never know now, would we?" Damon responded with a sigh. "Just fourteen more days. Then you can get on with your life, AFTER you bring Bonnie back to Virginia."

"We're not even sure if Eden will come through for us," Enzo snorted.

"She'll fulfill her end of the bargain," Damon assured him.

"Do you really trust her?" Enzo asked.

"I trust that her loyalty to Kai will help us get Bonnie back," Damon said calmly. "Now all we have to do is wait."

"Wait, wait, wait...all we've ever done is wait!" Enzo grumbled.

"Patience is a virtue," Damon reminded him.

"Have I ever told you how much I violently dislike this moral version of you?" Enzo retorted. "Reminds me of someone..."

"Enzo..." Damon said in a warning tone.

"I wonder if you're playing the role of the responsible 'brother' now, in some weird hope that somehow, somewhere...he'd be proud of you," Enzo spat with disdain.

"Now you're just talking out of your ass," Damon scoffed, as he sipped hi coffee.

"Whatever lets you sleep at night," Enzo said, stuffing more food into his mouth. "But let me remind you, you're not in Mystic Falls anymore. There's at least 2,800 miles in between the two of you, and yet you still allow him to influence you. Leave the past to the past, 'big brother'," he added, easily slipping back into character.

"Don't think I haven't noticed that those twins you've been fucking upstairs have soft blonde hair and light blue eyes," Damon pointed out. He leaned in to whisper. "I'm not the only one who can't seem to let go of the past that easily, 'little brother'," he said, before standing up from the table. "I have to go, or I'll be late for work," he added, putting some money down next to his plate. "It was nice sharing breakfast with you, 'Callum'."

'Noah' turned around, leaving his brother to finish his breakfast, and went to the counter, shook Josiah's hand and give Circe a peck on the cheek. He thanked them for the meal, before heading out the door.

* * *

><p>He arrived at the firehouse a several minutes before his shift started. Time to slip the mask back on.<em> Lieutenant Noah Shepherd of Battalion 3 Squad 10 Engine 42Ladder 23, reporting for duty here at Station 01._ Just in time for roll call in the apparatus room, and receive his assignment for the day. His job is often tiresome, but it helps pass the time, and takes his mind off all the waiting. And most of the time, he even finds himself enjoying his new responsibilities.

After a couple of months, it has even become routine. He's mastered how to check out the fire engines, along with every piece of equipment, to ensure that they are all fully operational. Even the often tedious task of verifying inspection schedules, and other administrative duties seemed challenging to him.

There was a knock on the door. He looked up from his desk, shuffling paperwork, when Charles 'Doc' Clayton, the station's firefighter/lead paramedic, popped his head in.

"What's up, Doc?" Noah inquired.

"Good morning, Lieu," Doc greeted him. "Captain wants to speak with you."

Noah raised an eyebrow. "Any idea what's it about?"

"Well...you didn't hear it from me," Doc answered tentatively. "But I heard that Dr. Brooks finally gave you all clear signal after that head injury you got from the Scoggins Creek wildfire last week."

"I told you guys I was fine. Takes more than a few flaming twigs to crack my skull," Noah said jokingly.

"Yeah, well...you can't really blame us for making sure," Doc told him. "We're more than just a team here. We're family. And I know it took me a while to warm up to you, but I really do believe that you're one of the good guys. We have a shortage of your kind in this town. We kinda like to keep you around."

"Thanks, Doc," Noah replied sincerely.

"No problem, Lieu," Doc said with a wink. "Don't keep the Captain waiting," he added, before heading out.

Noah smiled and shook his head, as he stood up from his desk, and headed towards the Captain's office.

* * *

><p>He sauntered down the hallway, and stopped in front of the office that says 'Captain Orrin Thomas', and knocked on the door.<p>

"Come in," said the Captain.

"You wanted to see me, Skip?" Noah asked, stepping inside the office.

"Have a seat, Lieutenant," Captain Thomas motioned for him to sit down. "I just got a call from Dr. Brooks..."

"And?" Noah pressed.

"Clean bill of health," the Captain informed him. "I swear to God, Shepherd...you must have more lives than a cat."

"Just got lucky, Sir," Noah humbly replied.

The Captain just shook his head. "Anyway, Chief Jannsens would like to honor you-"

"All due respect, sir, but that's really not necessary," Noah interrupted him.

"Shepherd, you took great risk in the midst of a wildfire, and carried those two campers out to safety. Accept the recognition," Captain Thomas urged him.

"I'd take the pat on the back...maybe a free drink or two, but I don't need a medal, Skip," Noah insisted. "I did my job...just like any of the guys on my team would have done."

"If you insist," the Captain relented. "I'd let the Chief know about your decision," he added. "Although, I must say...I am damn glad to have a man like you on this squad, Son."

"Thank you, Sir," Noah politely answered. "Would that be all?"

"On a completely unrelated note, the missus and I are having a barbecue this Sunday," Captain Thomas informed him. "Everyone in the squad invited. You should come...it'll be fun. Oh, and bring that delightful girlfriend of yours."

"I'll pass on the invite, Sir. Thank you," Noah said, before he was dismissed to go back to his duties.

* * *

><p>The rest of his morning went on quickly and uneventful. Then shortly after lunch, he got to play tour guide for a school field trip, educating fourth-graders about the value of fire safety. He didn't mind it too much...the schoolteacher was pretty hot.<p>

Later in the afternoon, they, along with other crews, got called to a second-alarm fire at an apartment building in the middle of Southwest 4th Avenue. Smoke and flames had already engulfed the building when his team arrived at the site. Too early to tell, but it looked like faulty electrical wiring.

Noah immediately barked orders at his team, which consists of Doc, Firefighter 1st Grade Chris Lafferty, Firefighter Buckley Murray , Firefighter/EMT Kevin Wilmington, Probationary Firefighter Ezra Holden, and Ladder Company Chauffeur Alex Navarro. They were collectively nicknamed as 'The Magnificent Seven' due to the amount of saves they have in their records.

Minutes rolled into hours...which turned into several hours, before the fire showed signs of being halfway contained. Then came the dreaded screams of a mother who just came from a late work shift, now pleading for someone to save her son, Tommy, who was stuck inside with his grandmother.

_Shit. A little boy and his grandmother...two of his weaknesses._

And so, he did what a dutiful firefighter would do. He took Lafferty and Murray with him, and braved the flames to go inside the burning building. They rushed up several flights of stairs to get to the lady's apartment, and busted their way in. Lafferty found the grandmother lying on the kitchen floor, lifted her up and carried her out to safety.

Noah found Tommy still lying in his bed inside the boy's room, most probably passed out from the thick fumes. He covered the boy in a blanket, and carried him out. As the fire got worse, the conditions inside the building deteriorated. All of a sudden , the floor collapsed from underneath him...but thankfully, not before he was able to pass the little boy on to Murray.

Noah screamed in pain, but managed to order Murray to go on and carry Tommy out to safety. When he was sure that nobody was looking, he vamp-sped his way into the nearest window, and then jumped while several stories high, miraculously landing on top of one of the company fire trucks.

Noah protested as he was poked and prodded by Doc, fussing over for any injury. He found out from Wilmington that Tommy and his grandmother are alright, and were only brought to the hospital for observation. He looked to the sky and whispered a 'thank you', before quickly standing up to return to his duties.

"Crazy-ass white boy..." he heard Doc mutter under his breath. He chuckled, before returning to his team.

* * *

><p>It took a few more hours before the fire was completely contained. Noah and his crew were cleaning up the site, rearranging hoses and other equipment inside the truck. He only looked up for a brief moment...that's all it ever took for him to recognize the car that was parked on the other side of the street.<p>

He sprinted his way towards it, just to make sure that it was the same car. Sure enough...it was the same 1969 blue Camaro convertible. The same one he drove into the Grill several months ago...although he wasn't sure how that was possible.

"Been working on it for a while now," said the familiar voice from behind him.

He turned around to face the man, just to make sure he wasn't imagining it. Yep. Same hero hairdo. Same broody eyebrows. The only difference was that the man wore a stupid happy grin on his face.

"Nice car," Noah told him, before he tried to walk away.

"Belongs to my brother," the man with piercing forest green eyes told him. "I was thinking he might want it back."

"Yeah...good luck on that," Noah muttered under his breath, as he tried to make his way back to his team. What he saw in front of him made him stop in his tracks.

There she stood, in her blue floral minidress, cropped denim jacket and big black boots...her long, chestnut hair cascading over her beautiful face, highlighting her big brown eyes.

"An emotionally unstable vampire with a blood alcohol level that I'm pretty sure is 150% proof leads a double life as a firefighter. Now I've seen everything," she said softly, as she walked closer towards him.

Nowhere to go...with Elena in front of him, and Stefan right behind him...he finally relented. He turned to face Elena.

"It's no more ridiculous than a defiant baby vamp believing she can play doctor without wanting to eat her bloody patients," Damon scoffed. He then turned his attention back to Stefan. "I would say it was nice to see you again, but I can't tell a believable lie on an empty stomach."

Damon then glanced at the Camaro once again. "I'll let you off for now," he told Stefan without looking at him. "Next time, don't park your car so close to a fire hydrant," he warned him, before turning away.

"Wait!" Elena stopped him.

"What?" Damon hissed.

"You..." she whispered in a tiny voice.

"Yes, I survived the fire back at Tripp's gulag," Damon scoffed. "Try not to look too disappointed."

"Damon-" Elena tried to talk to him.

"Lady, you've got the wrong guy," he replied, shaking his head. "I'm not that man," he told her, before walking away, leaving Stefan and Elena staring at his retreating form. "Not anymore."

"Good to go, Lieu?" Holden asked him.

"Yes," he replied, not knowing that Stefan was listening with vampire ears into their conversation. "Everything all set?" he asked the probie firefighter.

"Yes, Sir," Ezra replied. "Oh, uh...Dispatch called. Says that your brother left a message. He said to called him back ASAP...it's important."

"Alright...thanks. I'll give him a call later," he told the young man, as they proceeded to step inside the truck, leaving Stefan wondering who they were speaking of.

"Brother?" Stefan muttered to himself, all confused, as he watched Damon rejoin his team.

* * *

><p>Inside the truck, Doc noticed Noah's silence. "You alright," he worriedly asked his lieutenant.<p>

"Yep..." Noah answered. "Just tired."

Doc gave him a smile before asking, "Hey, Lieu...you remember what the shepherd said to the other herdsmen?"

Noah chuckled and nodded his head. "Let's get the flock outta here!" His answer was met with cheers from his team mates.

Doc tapped his fist on the back of the Chauffeur's seat. "You heard the lieutenant, Alex! Let's get the flock outta here!" And they all started laughing.

Noah looked at his watch. Still minutes to midnight. He rested his head on the back of his seat. He pinched the bridge of his nose, as he recalled the events of the day. He stared at his team, the men that had become his comrades...his family. Then he thought of his encounter earlier with Stefan and Elena. And then, he thought of the secret he has been keeping.

He has 14 days left. It'll be the longest two weeks of his life.

* * *

><p><strong>~END OF CHAPTER TWO~<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN** :

* * *

><p>*The song at the beginning was "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra<p>

*Yes...Damon 'borrowed' the Impala from a demon.

*To make things clearer : **Damon is Noah...Enzo is Callum**; and everyone else are still themselves.

*So, what do you think? Damon turning over a new leaf? Enzo as the scoundrel little brother? Denzo 2.0, new names, new identities, same banter. Short appearances by Elena and Stefan...with the Camaro?! And what exactly happens in 14 days?

*Yeah...I have no idea about being a firefighter, so my apologies for any inaccuracies.

*A little dramatic, yes...but I'm kinda sick of seeing Stefan (Paul) portraying the hero (soldier, paramedic, etc). I'm dying for Ian/Damon to play the role of hero for a change, instead of making him out as the bad guy all the time.

*Also, to those who were wondering why I can't write a decent Defan scene, here's the answer...I've lost my taste for Defan ever since Stefan chose to forget about Damon while he was in Savannah. Same reason why I can't write any Dalaric scene, because Ric compelling Elena's memories of her love for Damon pretty much turned me off.

**Oh, don't even get me started on the recent TVD episode! Shame on you, Elena! I understand why she chose to forget Damon, but to choose not to remember him? Ugh! Next episode's not looking too good for DE either.

****My theory : Jo is Kai's sister...the one whose life he spared. But you won't be seeing any of that in any of my stories. I have other plans for Jo.**

*Thank you all so much for reading! Be kind...REVIEW!


	3. The Gambler

**A/N** : I am so astounded by the amount of feedback I have received from all of you who have read, reviewed and PM'd me regarding this story. Thank you all so much! And to think that I was almost afraid to write this at first because it's not STRICTLY Delena, nor is it Bamon-centric or totally focused on Defan or Denzo or Dalaric bromance for that matter. I'm just writing a Damon fic here, and I'm glad that readers find it entertaining. Let's see how long that lasts! =D

**WARNING** : Kiddies, look away! It's Damon's turn to "blow off some steam".

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE – The Gambler<strong>

* * *

><p><em>...You've got to know when to hold 'em,<em>

_Know when to fold 'em,_

_Know when to walk away,_

_Know when to run..._

* * *

><p>Nine o'clock in the morning the next day marked the end of Noah's 24-hour shift...finally. When he got back to the firehouse last night, the first thing he did was take a long, hot shower to relax him. It didn't work. It all still came flooding back to his senses. Stefan standing right next to a car that used to belong to him. Elena within his arm's reach, close enough that he could hear her every breath...his old name rolling off her tongue like the sweetest of all sonnets.<p>

He tried his damn best to get his mind off of them, but to no avail. He tried to sleep, only to end up tossing and turning, until he finally gave up, and went back to his desk. He filled out the full incident report regarding the fire, and that kept him occupied for a good hour or so. He went to the station's gym for some hard core physical training, hoping to work out some of his frustrations. He broke another punching bag. He cooked breakfast for his team, which he didn't even have a taste because he was too preoccupied to eat.

He pretty much paced around the quarters the whole time, until he was released from duty. He took another shower, before he left the station even more unstrung than when he went in 24 hours ago. He needed to blow off some steam. And he knew just how to do it. He took his keys out, and not long after, he was driving the Impala like a bat out of hell.

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of chocolate-colored doe eyes were lovingly observing him from a distance the entire time...

* * *

><p>Elena sat inside Caroline's 2011 Ford Fiesta that she had borrowed earlier. Stefan wanted her to use the Camaro, but she promised herself that she wouldn't set foot inside that car, whether as a passenger or a driver, until she had Damon's permission. She had been sitting there patiently since last night, after she followed Damon from the fire site. She had to ask around and compel a few people, but she eventually found out which firehouse he was working at.<p>

She had debated for hours whether or not to just walk over to the station, ring the bell, and hash it out with Damon. But in the end, she lacked the nerves to do it. Instead, she opted to stay outside the whole night and just waited for him to come out. And once he did, she remained frozen in her spot and just followed him with her eyes. She watched him leave hurriedly, in a car that she didn't recognize, and she mentally kicked herself for being such a wimp.

Now she was back on the road, trying to track down where Damon had gone. Luckily, she found his car parked outside 'Love Blossoms', a flower shop several blocks from the station. Within a few moments, he came out of the shop with a beautiful bouquet of white orchids, pink roses and fuchsia lilies. There was a sudden sharp twinge in her heart, because as much as she had hope, she knew that those flowers were not meant for her. But she fought through the pain. And being the glutton for punishment that she had been as of late, she decided to follow Damon to his next destination.

She maintained some distance between their vehicles, making sure there was at least a couple of cars in the middle of them the whole time. It was a gamble...she might get caught. But then again, she might not. Still, she felt like a crazy stalker, but she can't bring herself to feel guilty about it. Even when she knew that he would not appreciate being followed. But if Damon didn't want to be stalked, then he shouldn't have taught her how to.

Less than 15 minutes later, his car stopped in front of a big white house at the end of the long street. Elena parked not too far behind, and proceeded to follow him on foot. She watched him as he rang the doorbell, and was greeted by a lovely petite woman with long, dark and curly hair. She felt her eyes well up with tears when the woman's full lips touched Damon's once he pulled her into a hungry kiss.

It was all like a bad dream. The longer Elena watched them, the more her heart broke...but she couldn't make herself look away, even if it wrecked her. Now, she knew how people must have felt like when they catch their spouse cheating on them. What Damon must have felt like whenever she kissed Stefan in front of him...or when she and Stefan made love inside the boarding house, knowing full well that Damon was only a few rooms away. That soul-searing jealousy coursing through her body at the body was eating away at her.

Not that she had any right to feel that way. This was not Damon's fault, she kept telling herself, as she watched them through the sliver of space in between the window curtains, his lips devouring the woman's mouth and neck. No, he wasn't the one to blame in this situation. No, this time, the bump was caused by her. She was weak then. She was still weak now. With a heavy heart, she went back to the car, turned the ignition on, and drove away.

* * *

><p>They were barely inside Eden's house, when Damon slammed the door shut and pushed the witch up against the window. He literally ripped every piece of clothing from her body, with great haste and without care. He needed to bury his fangs into a woman's neck, while the lower part of his anatomy is buried and pumping in between her legs. Eden had continuously volunteered herself as a willing victim. Scratch that. She was no victim. She was just willing.<p>

So there they were, clothes strewn all over the living room floor, the long-forgotten bouquet of flowers scattered along with them. Their bodies connected immediately and with great urgency. No words, no foreplay necessary. Eden's body was soon writhing underneath Damon's, as she gasped and moaned whenever he slammed himself into of her. She didn't mind the carpet burns on her elbows and knees when he flipped her over, growling and grunting as he thrust into her from behind. He had fucked her harder than this, on much rougher surfaces. But the day was still young, and they still have hours to go before their bodies give out due to exhaustion.

* * *

><p>Elena's eyes were still red and puffy by the time she returned to the vacation rental they were staying at. She was more than ready to retreat to the room she shared with Caroline, and just cry herself to sleep, when Stefan cornered her by the stairs.<p>

"Elena! Where have you been?" Stefan asked worriedly.

"I went looking for Damon," Elena answered weakly.

"All night?" Stefan pressed.

"I needed to talk to him, Stefan," Elena said, as she tried to avoid Stefan's gaze.

"And did you?" Stefan asked curiously. It was then that he noticed her eyes. "Oh, Elena..." he muttered sadly.

Stefan guided her towards the sofa, and pulled her into his arms. Elena burrowed her head into his shoulders, barely stifling a sob. On a casual observer's eyes, the scene might look too close for comfort...definitely more than friendly. Especially, if said casual observer was the former head cheerleader of Team Stelena.

"Elena, is that y-? " Caroline ran downstairs to meet her, when the intimate scene in the living room greeted her. "Oh..." she whispered. "I didn't mean to interrupt," she said, as she walked closer towards them.

"Care-" Elena tried to explain when she saw the pained look in Caroline's eyes.

"I just need the car keys," Caroline interrupted her, as she regained her composure. "Then, you can go back to whatever the hell you two were doing."

"Caroline, we weren't-" Stefan tried to reason with her.

"You don't owe me an explanation," Caroline snapped.

"Care, I was just-" Elena tried to speak to her again, but Caroline wouldn't listen.

"Keys, please!" Caroline demanded, sticking her hand out.

Elena sighed and reached for the car keys inside her pockets. It was no use trying to reason with Caroline, especially when she's in a snit. She had been very temperamental lately, ever since Stefan came back from Savannah. Elena wasn't sure what was going on with her friends, but she was in the middle of it, and she had no idea why. Elena had suspected that Caroline had feelings for Stefan, but something had changed, and now, the two barely spoke to each other.

"Here you go," Elena sighed as she handed her the keys.

"Thank you," Caroline told her, before turning away and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked her, stopping her in her tracks.

"None of your business," Caroline answered without turning to face him.

"Caroline..." Stefan said in an exasperated tone. "We're strangers here. We need to stick together."

"No," Caroline muttered. "How about you protect Elena? I can take care of myself."

"Care, please...don't be like this!" Elena pleaded. She had already lost Bonnie...and Damon doesn't want to be found. She can't lose another person she cared about. "Just tell us where you're going..."

"I found Enzo..." Caroline replied softly, before opening the door as she tried to exit.

To her surprise, there was another person outside, knuckles poised to knock.

"Oh, goodie..." Caroline retorted. "Another member of the 'Elena Gilbert Rescue Squad'. Please, come right in," she scoffed, before pushing her way past the door and hurriedly walking towards her car.

"Who pissed on her cereal?" the man at the door asked confusedly.

"Ric!" Elena exclaimed as she rushed forward to greet him.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked him.

"Well..you said that you found Damon," Ric said, looking alternately between Stefan and Elena. "I can't NOT come."

"He's still not talking to us," Elena informed him. "He's made a new life for himself here in Portland, Ric..."

"Right..."Stefan said tentatively. "Look, I'll let Elena fill you in on all the details," he told Ric. "I've got some place else to be."

"Stefan..." Elena looked at him curiously.

"You'll be okay with Ric here," Stefan said to her. "I'm not so sure if Caroline will be safe with Enzo."

"Wait...Enzo's here too?" Ric asked them both.

"Apparently," Stefan replied, before grabbing his coat, and heading out the door.

Elena turned to Ric and shrugged. "Welcome to Portland."

Ric smiled warmly at her. "Come here, you..." he chuckled, before pulling her into a fatherly embrace.

* * *

><p>Damon's eyes fluttered, as he slowly woke up in Eden's bed. It was already dark outside...at least several hours since he first walked into the door and ripped out the witch's clothes off her body. Damon glanced at the woman stirring next to him, bruises and bite marks all over her neck, breasts, belly, thighs, and that area between her legs. He was a little too rough on her today, but the rougher he got, the more she liked it.<p>

In the short time he and Eden had known each other, they've had sex in every which way it's been invented. But that just it...only sex. There was nothing gentle or romantic about their coupling. He just pounds into her as roughly as she would allow him to, until one or both of them were sated into a stupor. Just scratching an itch...blowing off steam...nothing deeper than that. Well, at least for him. Damon had long suspected that that Eden had deeper feelings for him than lust. And he's not above admitting that he played on those feelings to keep her in check.

As powerful a witch Eden was, she was also lonely, horny and with just the right amount of insecurity in her...enough to let him use her body whenever he needed to, as long he kept her sated. Fortunately for him, he still remembered how to rock a witch's world.

"Ready for Round 10?" Damon playfully asked her, his fingers slowly gliding up and down the small of her back.

"More like Round 13," Eden purred softly, wincing as she stretched her body in bed. "I'm still a little sore from all that pounding..."

"Poor baby," Damon said mockingly, as he pulled her body on top of him. "Just one more...for me?"

"Damon...no matter how many times you bury yourself inside of me today, it's not going to be enough to erase Elena's face from your head," Eden told him bluntly.

"You...you know that's she's in town?" Damon asked her.

"I'm a witch, Damon," Eden replied. "And a paranoid witch too...so, yes, I make it my business to know who's in town." She noticed the look of unease in Damon's eyes. "Although, I do appreciate that you just fucked me six ways till Sunday...believe me, I'm not complaining."

"This...her being here...it doesn't change anything between the two of us," Damon assured the witch.

"Well, I sure as hell hope not," Eden chuckled. "Our deal still stands. I give you my body, and in 13 days, you hand over your soul. And in return, I get my brother back, along with the Bennett witch...safe and sound."

"Yep..." Damon answered affirmatively. "Safe and sound, that's the deal."

Eden smiled at him...one of those smiles that makes her seems like she knows more than she lets on. "And just so you won't think I'm being stingy," she said, before playfully peppering his chest with kisses. "I think I will give you another round," she whispered sultrily, as her mouth kissed her way lower down his torso. "I'll even do all the work this time."

Damon groaned, as Eden ran her tongue up his erection. He held on to her hair, his fingers digging into her scalp, as he arched up against her mouth, his member hitting the back of her throat. He growled as his control snapped, when the contraction of her throat caressed him. She held down his hips when he started to thrusting furiously into her mouth, making sure that he knew who was in charge. This was going to be another long session.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Gorgeous," Enzo greeted Caroline when she walked inside the door of the tavern's poker room. "Two visits in two days," he teased. "Careful there...if I didn't know better, I might think that you fancy me."<p>

"Well, it's a good thing you know better then," Caroline scoffed, plopping herself down into one of the chairs. She had been running all over Old Town Portland for hours, hoping her anger would go away, but it didn't.

Enzo observed her carefully, noticing the sad look in her eyes. She had worn the same expression since she showed up at his door. "What's the matter, Gorgeous?" he asked with genuine concern. "A certain Salvatore hero still not giving you the attention you deserve?"

Caroline looked at the two women flanking Enzo, before glaring at him. "It's kinda hard to talk to you with your harem around," she hissed at Sylvia, who was massaging Enzo's shoulders, and Silvana, who was feeding him grapes.

Enzo gave both girls a quick peck on the lips, before dismissing them with a playful slap on the bum. "There...all gone," he told Caroline, while he watched the twins giggling their way out the door.

"What are they...your hookers?" Caroline sneered at him.

"Relaxation therapists," Enzo corrected her. "Now...quit changing the subject. What did Stefan do?"

"What makes you so sure that it's Stefan?" Caroline scoffed.

"Because he's the only person I know who can put that frown on your face," Enzo pointed out.

Caroline was about to tell him to mind his own business, when the door opened again...this time, a rowdy group of men came piling in. They all quickly silenced once they noticed Caroline's presence in the room, with stupid grins on their faces as they stared at her from head to foot.

"Sorry, Callum," the tallest man of the group spoke up. "Didn't know you had company. The party's still on for tonight, right?"

"Of course, Lafferty," Enzo replied, as Callum, obviously, since he quickly lost his accent once he spoke.

"Hey, I thought the Lieutenant would be here by now," said the youngest one of the group. The kid must have just slightly older than Jeremy.

"He'd be here," 'Callum' assured them. "He just got held up in traffic," he explained. "Keep this lovely woman company while I give him another call," he said, giving Caroline a playful smirk, before turning around to get his cellphone.

* * *

><p>Damon just got out of the shower, and finished putting fresh clothes on, when the alert light caught his eyes as it flashed on his cellphone.<p>

_Fifteen messages. Seven missed calls. _ He just noticed it...all from Enzo. He was just about to dial Enzo's number, when his phone rang in his hand.

"Hello, brother," Damon answered the phone.

"Don't 'Hello, brother' me!" Enzo scoffed. "When you get a message telling you to call me back ASAP, you call me back ASAP! You don't wait till almost a day later before you answer your damn phone!"

"I got tied up," Damon scoffed, eyeing Eden, who was still sleeping soundly on the bed, all worn out, she probably won't wake up until tomorrow. "What's the problem?"

"Oh, nothing..." Enzo retorted. "Just the invasion of the creatures from Mystic Falls," he said mockingly. "Caroline has visited me two days in a row now."

"Is Blondie still there?" Damon asked calmly.

"Yes," Enzo answered. "Your team has been kind enough to keep her occupied."

"What the hell is my team doing there?" Damon growled.

"Have you forgotten? Poker party at my place tonight?" Enzo reminded him.

"And by poker party, you mean robbing them of their money?" Damon said with a smirk.

"'Robbing' is such an ugly word," Enzo replied. "I prefer the term 'relieving'."

"Of course, you do," Damon said teasingly. He was about to say more, when he heard Caroline's voice loudly on the other line.

"_What the hell are you doing here? Have you been following me?" Caroline asked irritatedly._

"Well, the evening just got a lot more interesting," Enzo said in a serious tone. "You'll never guess who just showed up at the party..."

Damon didn't need to guess. He knew damn well who it was. "Hang tight. I'll be right there," he told Enzo, before he hung up the phone. He grabbed his jacket and his keys, before he hurriedly headed out the door.

* * *

><p>"What the hell are you doing here? Have you been following me?" Caroline asked irritatedly.<p>

"Actually, I was looking for a place to play poker, and a few people were kind enough to point me to this direction," Stefan lied.

"Well then," Enzo said, emerging from the shadows. "You came to the right place." He looked around to the rest of the men inside the room. "That won't be a problem, will it, boys?"

"Nah, the more the merrier, Callum," Wilmington answered for the rest of the team, as everyone else agreed.

"This party is boring," Caroline commented. "Where the hell is your booze?" she asked Enzo.

"Not in here..." Enzo replied. "Outside, at the bar," he said with a smirk. "Liquor in the the front...poker in the back," he added, giving Caroline a playful wink.

"Ugh!" Caroline said disgustedly, before turning her heels to go get herself a drink.

Stefan glared at Enzo. "So...what time does this party start?"

"Yeah, let's do this, Callum!" Buckley said eagerly.

"Fine by me. If you're really in that much of a hurry to lose your money," 'Callum' said, as he got the deck of cards, not taking his eyes off of Stefan.

* * *

><p>Caroline strolled over at the bar and drummed her fingers on the counter. "I'll have some silver tequila," she told Josiah. Josiah poured her a double shot. "Leave the bottle," she added, before she tossed back the drink.<p>

"You know...underneath all that control freak facade, I've always figured you for a closeted alcoholic, Blondie," said a familiar male voice from behind her.

She turned around to confirm her suspicions, and she was right. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed as she met his beautiful blue eyes. She ran over to him, with barely contained vampire speed. "It's really you!" she said, as she pulled him into a tight hug. "I missed you!" she told him enthusiastically. "I still hate your guts, but I've missed you!"

Damon chuckled, as he patted her on the head. He tried to pull away, but Caroline won't let go. "Okaaay...still hugging." Moments later, Caroline still held onto him. "Seriously, Blondie...you need to let go now. People will talk."

Caroline sniffled and buried her head to side of his neck. "Why can't I stop hugging you?"

"I don't know...because you're crazy?" Damon retorted.

"Shut up!" Caroline smacked him on the chest, letting him go, finally.

Damon noticed the tears on her face. "Caroline...you're leaking," he told her, as he led her back to the bar.

Caroline made a pout. "I'm just happy to see you...and relieved," she tried to explain. "Because as chaotic as it was when you were around...life was an even bigger chaos without you in it," she admitted honestly. "Stefan's been distraught. Alaric is a mess. And Elena..."

"You can stop right there, Blondie," Damon interrupted her.

Caroline nodded, and there was an awkward silence for a while. "I never thanked you for saving my life back at Tripp's..."

"Don't mention it..." Damon said with a smirk. "I mean it. Don't mention it. It's bad for my reputation."

"I've missed your sass," Caroline said, giggling.

"Why, thank you, Blondie," Damon said. "You've got a very nice 'sass' yourself..."

Caroline giggled louder. Once the laughter subsided, she spoke seriously. "Can we go home now?"

"You can go home anytime you want," Damon pointed out. "I'm staying right where I am."

"I don't understand why you had to leave in the first place," Caroline said.

"You know why," Damon scoffed. "You pretend that you don't, but you know why I had to leave."

"You leaving did not help anybody!" Caroline said in a raised voice.

"Hey! Watch it, Blondie," Damon retorted. "In case you failed to notice, by taking Enzo with me, I saved you from being a part of another bizarre love triangle."

"Triangle?" Caroline scoffed. "What triangle? I am hardly even a straight line these days."

"I take it St. Stefan still have you rotting on the friends zone," Damon chuckled.

"I'm not in any zone," Caroline informed him. "Elena pretty much takes up most of the zones!"

"You let Elena Gilbert cock-block you?" Damon snorted.

Caroline almost spat out her drink. Oddly enough, she really did miss Damon's presence in her life. She missed being his sexy, blonde frenemy. They made small talk for a bit, before she pointed out a very important thing to him.

"You're going to have to talk to him eventually," Caroline said.

"I prefer later rather than sooner," Damon replied.

"You're only prolonging the inevitable," Caroline pointed out. "Just rip the band-aid out already."

"Fine," Damon said, as he stood up from his stool.

"Wait...where are you going?" Caroline asked.

"Gonna go rip out the band-aid," Damon replied. "You coming?" he asked, holding his hand out to her. Caroline smiled at him as she took his hand, before they both headed towards the poker room.

* * *

><p>Caroline entered the room with 'Noah'. She looked around at the dimly lit room, the smell of cigars permeating the air. 'Callum' looked up from his cards when he noticed her in the room, Noah standing quietly next to her.<p>

"Gorgeous...you brought me a drink?" Callum asked playfully.

"What...this?" Caroline raised the bottle. "This is mine. Get you own damn drink."

"Ohhh..." teased Lafferty. "Your woman is feisty, Stefan."

"I am NOT his woman," Caroline scoffed. "I am nobody's woman!"

Everyone else laughed, not at what she said, but how she said it. Stefan tried to catch his brother's eyes, but he kept avoiding him. This didn't go unnoticed by 'Callum'.

"Brother, come sit by me," 'Callum' told 'Noah, who politely obeyed.

This has been routine for them. 'Callum' has a rotating group of seven to ten people over to play poker, most of them, more often than not, have deep pockets. He cleans them out, while 'Noah' stays behind him, ready to defend him from any disgruntled gambler who claimed that he cheated. Tonight though, Noah was more than ready to play a more active role in Callum's little con.

Noah loved his team...but the amazing thing is, in this collection of brave, young heroes, there isn't a single real card player among them.

"I call," said Lafferty.

"I call , too," said Murray.

"Raise," Noah piped in, tossing in some chips from Callum's pile. "My brother raises."

"Noah?" Callum whispers. "I would have just called."

"No, you're good" Noah assured his brother.

"All right, I call," Lafferty said, tossing in more chips.

"Good," Murray said.

"I'm in," Stefan told them.

A round of betting and checking followed around the table.

"Read 'em and weep."

"Threes check."

"Check to the Shepherds over there."

"Check to the raiser."

"Czech Republic."

"What's the limit?" Noah interrupted, before Callum could take any action.

"$100," Stefan answered. "Big bet's $100."

"Okay. Good. There's $100," Noah said, tossing the chips in the middle.

"You've seen half a hand. How the fuck are you betting into us?" Murray asked incredulously.

"You sure this is wise, 'Callum'?" Stefan asked, trying to plant the seed of doubt in his head. "It's YOUR money that your brother is betting with."

"It's plenty wise," Noah interrupted him. "We know what we're holding, and we know what you're holding."

Stefan chuckled and shook, not believing a word his brother said.

"The fuck you know what we all got!" Lafferty scoffed.

"One month latrine duty says I know what you're holding," Noah challenged his team mate.

"You're on!" Lafferty accepted.

"Okay," Noah said, clearing his throat. "Well, you were looking for that third Three," he started. "But you forgot that Buckley folded it on Fourth Street," he reminded him. "And now you're representing that you have it." he added. "Wilmington made his two pair, but he knows they're no good. Doc's trying to squeeze out a diamond flush, but he came up short," he kept going. "And the newbie over there," he said, pointing to Stefan. "Is futilely hoping that his Queens are gonna stand up," he smirked. "So, like I said, my brother's bet is $100." he insisted.

"Well, kiss my ass," Lafferty scoffed, throwing down his cards.

"Kiss my ass, too!" said Wilmington, as the whole team laughed along with him.

"What'd you have, Callum?" Stefan asked.

"Nothin' but a busted Straight," Callum replied.

"Oh, come on!" Lafferty grumbled loudly.

"It's good enough to win," Noah pointed out. "Take it down," he told Callum, as the younger Shepherd scooped up their winnings.

"All right, Lieu," Doc said. "Pull up a seat...I aim to win my money back."

"No, thank you," Noah refused. "I only gamble with my life."

"That was pretty damn cool, sir!" Ezra looked at Noah like he just met his childhood hero.

"Cool?" Wilmington scoffed. "You mean cruel. That was cruel, Lieu!"

"It's Rule Number 21..." Callum told the team.

"What's Rule Number 21?" Alex asked him.

"It's immoral to let a sucker keep his money," Noah answered for his brother.

Down on the corner, Caroline was giggling loudly at the entire exchange.

"I need a drink!" Lafferty demanded. "Ezra, go check if they're planning to bring us any drinks soon," he ordered the young fireman. Ezra nodded and hurriedly went out the door.

The rest of the team went about talking amongst each other, eating crisps and smoking cigars while they waited.

"What did you say your name was?" Noah asked the 'newcomer'. "Stefan...is it?"

"Yes. Stefan Salvatore," he reintroduced himself to the group.

"Salvatore? Huh..." Noah muttered.

"Yes, it means 'Savior' in Italian," Stefan told him. "I didn't catch your name."

"I never threw it at you," Noah answered flatly.

"His name is Noah," it was 'Callum' who answered for his brother. "Shepherd," he added. "It means 'Shepherd' in English," he chuckled mockingly.

"And you're also a Shepherd?" Stefan asked curiously. "Callum, right?" he said, feigning ignorance. "You two related?"

"Are you serious?" Alex scoffed at him. "What...you really can't see the resemblance between them?"

"He's my little brother," Noah replied, trying to make Stefan squirm. Then, he turned around and whispered into Callum's ear. "I'm not drunk enough for this."

Callum nodded at him, before turning his attention back to Stefan. "Where are you from?" he asked.

"Virginia," Stefan replied, meeting his glare.

"Hey, isn't that where you two hail from?" Doc asked the Shepherd brothers. "Which parts?" he asked Stefan.

"I'm from a little town called Mystic Falls," Stefan answered.

"Falls Church," Noah replied. "We're from Falls Church, Virginia."

"It's by the old Augustine Research Facility," Callum piped in. "It's gone now. Huge fire," he added. "You've heard of it?" he asked Stefan.

"Sounds familiar," Stefan told Callum. He then turned to face Noah. "So...how about helping out a fellow Virginian? I'm new in town. Looking for a job."

"I don't think the tavern has an opening for new bar staff," Callum scoffed.

"Actually, I'm a paramedic," Stefan informed him.

"You don't say," Callum glared daggers at him.

"Well...we're pretty full in our station," Noah said to Stefan. "Tell you what...if you can beat Wilmington over there at arm-wrestling, I'd give you his job," he offered.

"Lieu!" the fireman/EMT protested.

"Well, I can't give him Doc's job..." Noah scoffed.

"He's joking!" Wilmington nervously told Stefan.

"We'll be on the look-out for any openings in other stations," Doc assured him.

"Yeah...we are 'The Magnificent Seven'," Lafferty pointed out. "We're a team. Sorry, but 'The Magnificent Eight' doesn't have the same nice ring to it."

Just then, Ezra came back to the room with the Ora twins, each of them carrying a tray of alcoholic beverages.

"Callum...more people looking for you," Silvana said, tilting her head towards the door.

"Honestly, Gorgeous..." Enzo turned to whisper to Caroline "Did you really have to bring the Mystic Falls Little Rascals with you?" he asked softly when he saw Elena and Alaric enter the room. He met Damon's eyes, who tried to remain unaffected by their presence.

"Hey, pretty girl..." Lafferty perked up and walked over to Elena. "Are you religious?" he whispered flirtatiously. "Because you're the answer to all my prayers."

Noah couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Seriously, Lafferty? That's your chat-up line?" he asked incredulously, still trying to avoid Elena's eyes.

"Yeah, well...I usually talk a good game once inebriated," Lafferty chuckled, as he passed along a bottle of beers to his team.

Noah was about to say something, when his cellphone vibrated. He looked at the new message that was just sent to him and shook his head. "Hold up..." he told his team, without looking up from his phone. "Alex, put that beer down," he said to the Ladder Company Chauffeur. "Any of you boys been drinking...tell me now?" he demanded in a warning tone.

An echo of 'No, sir,' responded to him.

"What's wrong, Lieu?" Doc asked him.

Before he could reply, all the pagers of his team members went off, beeping loudly. "That," Noah answered.

A cacophony of "Oh, shit!", "Hoo yah!" and unintelligible grumblings filled the room, as the team put their untouched bottles of beer down, and hurriedly stood up to their feet.

"Awww, man!" Ezra complained. "I was looking forward to having this night off!"

"Shut the fuck up, Probie!" Lafferty scolded him. "You do this job long enough, you'd know that we live for this shit!" he added, before following everyone out the door.

Noah put his jacket on, before heading off to follow his team, when Elena placed a hand on his arm and stopped him.

"Damon..." she whispered his name.

"Yeah..." he answered, trying not to get distracted.

"Be careful out there...please," Elena pleaded.

"I have faced death so many times in my life, that I've lost count. And yet somehow, I always come back," he reminded "Then again, you already knew that part."

Elena winced at the last part, an obvious dig to their present misunderstanding.

Damon looked around to see the people that were left in that room. Then, he turned to face Enzo. "You gonna be okay here by yourself?" he asked.

Enzo raised an eyebrow. "You're leaving me here with The Legs, The Forehead, The Chin, and Mrs. Robinson. You find me dead in the morning, it'll be an easy murder to solve."

Damon chuckled at his response. "See you later, little brother," he said, shaking his head.

"Stay safe, big brother," Enzo replied, patting him on the back, before Damon went to join his team.

* * *

><p>"You just love rubbing that in my face, don't you?" Stefan retorted once Damon was out of ear shot.<p>

"It does give me great pleasure seeing how much it pisses you off, yes." Enzo replied, as he took Caroline's hand to kiss it. "Having fun, Gorgeous?" he asked her.

"Having a blast," Caroline replied dryly, taking her hand back.

"Hold on..." Alaric said, all confused. "In what world are you the one that gets to be by Damon's side?"

"This world apparently," Enzo replied cockily. "The same world where his old best friend betrayed him, his own brother gave up on him, and the so-called love of his life forgot about him." he added. "Am I leaving anybody out?"

Elena ignored the taunt. "I need your help, Enzo, please," she pleaded. Damon needs to know that I broke the compulsion."

Enzo's smirk only grew wider. "Oh, he knows."

"He-he knows?" Elena repeated.

"Wake up and smell the roses, Princess," Enzo sneered at her. "Of course he knows. He's known for a while now," he informed her. "He just doesn't care," he added, before sauntering his way out of the room, leaving everyone else shocked by his revelation.

* * *

><p><strong>~END OF CHAPTER THREE~<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN** :

*Song selection : The Gambler, by Kenny Rogers.

*So there! The Mystic Falls Gang comes face to face with Team Shepherd. I loved writing that 'little brother vs little brother' scene. The old vs the new...or as one of the reviewers dubbed it, 'Little Savior' vs 'Little Shepherd'!

*Imagine Andie and Bree rolled into one, and that's who Eden is on this fic...for now.

*Yes, THIS Caroline was a slight throwback to season 1 Caroline...since the TVD writers insist on pushing the reset button.

*"The Legs, The Forehead, The Chin, and Mrs. Robinson"...any guesses?

*Here's the thing...as you might know already, I have not been a huge fan of the current TVD storyline. That might reflect on my writing, a little bit. People who have ready my stories from other fandoms might know that I write fanfiction to 'fix' the things I don't like in the way a show is going. That being said, don't expect this fic to be such a smooth ride for Damon, Elena and Stefan. (And I won't even mention Alaric!) I've been cross with the TVD writers with how 'forgettable' they made Damon. So future chapters may be a little hurtful...borderline confrontational. Because Damon Salvatore, through no fault of his own, is a character filled with anger and insecurity issues. And if he wants to be angry and insecure, I'm not going to stop him. Ha ha! Also, I refuse to make him someone's slave puppy...no one can appease him by just scratching behind his ears. He's going to be cross, and he will be very stubborn about it. Damon has a few things he'd like to get off his chest, and for once binge-drinking in bourbon won't help him. Yes, Damon's purging will be one-sided, since the TVD writers have already made excuses for every other character on the show. I'm telling you this ahead of time, just in case you immediately expect a sappy DE reunion scene. Apologies, but I'm not that forgiving. You've been warned. (Yes, I'm evil, I know! I like to punish the characters...and the readers right along with them.) ~xoxo~

*Thanks again, you beautiful people! Be kind...REVIEW!


	4. Apologies!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE **

* * *

><p>I know that I said on my Twitter update last week that I was done writing Chapter 4 of this story, and I am. However, due to unavoidable circumstances, I won't be able to update anything until a later date. Posting this from my phone just to let you guys know. Apologies for the delay.<p>

Title of Chapter Four is _"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"_...and I have been really excited to have you guys read it. From that title you can guess who the chapter is about.

Enjoy the "FriendsGiving" episode...I have a feeling that I won't be able to. Apologies again, and thank you for all the love and patience!

~IcyJadeXOXO~


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